


Black Jareth

by Lady_Lannie_Queen_of_Goblins



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-08-22 10:40:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16596296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lannie_Queen_of_Goblins/pseuds/Lady_Lannie_Queen_of_Goblins
Summary: AU story set in 1600's America. Years after her encounter with the Goblin King, Sarah and her family move to America and face new challenges, or are they the old ones with new faces?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is going to be much darker than my usual stories, so be warned. I'm not sure how dark this will get. I'm branching out and trying new things. This is slightly inspired by the VVitch, but will by no means be the same story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Jareth, Labyrinth, The VVitch, or any characters or ideas from their worlds. I'm simply borrowing them for a little while for my own entertainment and stress relief.

Chapter 1

As Sarah Williams sat on the back of the family's wagon with her brother, Tobias, and the twins, Grace and Michael, she thought back on all that had happened to her. Things hadn't been easy for her family. Her mother had died when Sarah was only 5. A few years later her father remarried and when Sarah was 8, Tobias was born.

Sarah loved her baby brother, but the first year of his life she despised him. Her stepmother always accused her of things she didn't do. If anything was missing Sarah must have taken it. If something broke, Sarah must have done something to it. She seemed to be in trouble daily. Once Tobias was born, things got worse. Sarah was supposed to do all her chores and look after the baby.

Sarah's only joy was when she slipped away and went to see the blind beggar near the church. He had stopped her father after church one day and asked if he had any money or food to spare. Sarah had felt bad for the poor man. So the next day she snuck out and took some bread she had saved from her dinner the night before. The beggar was overjoyed by the girl's kindness.

"Such a sweet and generous child thou are." He told her with a grin. "Thy mother and father must be very proud of thee."

"My mother passed many years ago," Sarah told him sadly.

"My mistake. Forgive an old blind man. I heard a woman with thee after services. I presumed it was thy mother."

"My father married another after my mother's death. She has no love for me though." Sarah didn't know why she spoke so openly to a stranger, especially one that was a poor beggar living on the streets, but for some reason, she felt she could confide in the old man.

"Tell me your name child."

"Sarah, sir. My name is Sarah Williams."

The old man nodded and rubbed his hands together to warm them. "A lovely name for such a lovely girl."

"I thought thee blind?"

"Tis true. But I don't need eyes to know thy beauty. For thy has a beautiful soul."

"And what be your name?"

"They call me Phillip." He patted the ground beside him inviting her to sit. "Won't you sit a while and talk with a lonely old man?"

She stared at him nervously for several moments. "I should get back before I'm missed," Sarah said as she turned to leave.

"Wait a moment, Sarah." He called after her.

"Yes?"

"I haven't anything to give thee to repay your kindness. But perhaps you'd like trade some stories." The beggar offered.

"Stories?" Sarah questioned. "What kind of stories?"

"Tales of magical beings, a far-off kingdom, and a beautiful Princess." He reached inside the pocket of his tattered jacket and pulled out a small red book. "This was always my favorite as a lad," he said as he held the book out to her.

"I… I can not read."

"Such a pity." He shook his head. "Perhaps then you'll visit me now and then and allow me to tell thee the stories myself?"

"I would like that, very much," Sarah told him before she hurried home.

Over the next several months, Sarah snuck away whenever she could. Phillip told her various stories of magical creatures called the Fae and the many Kingdoms they ruled over. At first, Sarah didn't want to believe them, for they sounded like the evil witches the church warned against. She knew her parents would certainly not approve of her hearing such things, especially from the blind beggar.

Sarah didn't truly believe the stories might be true. At least, not at first. That all changed after she made a very special wish one night.

Shaking her head, Sarah tried not to think of that night. Instead, she reached over and hugged Tobias. She nearly lost him that night and realized how important he truly was to her. Nothing was more important to her than Tobias.

Her father, Robert Williams, did all he could to provide for them and keep them safe. That included moving them all to America in order to be free to follow the word of God the way they believed was right, not the way the Church wanted to force them to do it.

Robert wasn't the only one to move his family to the colonies to escape the church. In fact, whole congregations left and formed they own communities in various parts of the new world. Robert was a God-fearing man and taught his children to repent their sins. They recited verses daily, prayed before every meal and before bed. They even blessed their livestock and thanked God for what he provided them before slaughtering it. Everything seemed to be going well for their family once they settled in Carolina.

Sarah's stepmother, Irene, was still hard on her and made her do most of the chores, but Sarah had grown used to it. Tobias made it all bearable. He often helped her with the chores and even teased her for not being ladylike by always being covered in dirt and sweat. Her time with Tobias was the best part of her day. He even helped her deal with their bratty twin siblings.

Grace and Michael, who were 3 when the Williams made the long trip to America, didn't remember England. They only knew the happy lives they had in America and now their lives were being turned upside down, just as Sarah's life had been when her father announced that they were moving to America.

"I don't want to leave the village," Grace whined.

"Hush now, Grace," Sarah warned.

"But why can't we stay?" Michael asked.

"We're leaving because Father said so," Tobias answered. "That's all you need to know."

"I don't like it," Michael grumbled.

"Mind thy tongue," Irene called over her shoulder. "Things will be better, you'll see."

"Your mother is right," Robert stated. "We'll find a nice place to build a house and we'll have all the land we need to make a farm. Perhaps we'll even find some nice apple trees."

"What about the others in the village?" Grace asked.

"They'll answer to God in the end," Robert replied. "We shall give thanks to the Lord for all he provides us."

They rode the rest of the day and just before dusk, Robert stopped the wagon. "Asketh, and you shall receiveth," Robert said as he climbed off the wagon.

"You mean you want to build a house here?" Irene questioned.

"Yes. This will be a fine farm." Robert started unloading the wagon and they made camp for the night.

Later that night, after they had their meal and said their prayers, Sarah laid awake staring at the stars. They had stopped at a clearing before a thickly forested area. There was a stream nearby and plenty of good-looking trees that could be cut down and used to build a fine home. Her father was excited and positive this would be a good place for them, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she got when she looked at the woods.

It was an oddly familiar feeling. She had felt it the night she made that wish. The night he appeared. A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about it. She could still hear his voice and see the gleam in his eyes as he taunted her. "I've brought you a gift." his voice echoed in her head.

Sitting up, she wrapped her blanket around her and rubbed her arms. No matter how much time passed or even how far away they traveled, Sarah just couldn't escape the memory of that night, the memory of him.

"Sarah?" Tobias called out to her quietly. When she looked over at him, he sat up. "Is something wrong?" he whispered.

"Just a bad dream. I'll be alright." She assured him. "Lay back down and get some sleep." She brushed his sandy blonde hair from his face and he yawned as he laid back down.

Sarah laid back and closed her eyes. Tomorrow would be a better day. She prayed the Lord would watch over them and guide them. Surely her father wasn't wrong about leaving the village.


	2. Chapter 2

Over the next couple of months, Sarah's family managed to build a decent sized home and start a small farm. They didn't have a lot with them when they left the village, but they were making the best of it. Soon the crops would be ready to harvest and they would be able to eat something other than stale bread and the few wild berries and nuts they had found.

Robert had ventured into the forest to hunt a few times but found very little wildlife to hunt. There were a few rabbits and a squirrel or two, but certainly not enough to feed his family. Reluctantly, Robert had returned to the village with anything he thought he could use for trade. He had returned with a few goats and two hens. It wasn't much, but the goats would provide milk, and the hens would give them eggs. It was a start. If God was merciful, their harvest would be a good one and he could possibly trade for more goods later.

Sarah was quickly given the duties of feeding, milking, and seeing to the goats, as well as gathering the eggs from the hens each day. It was more work, but it was also time away from the twins.

Tobias was tasked with helping their father with the crops. Other than rare moments that they both went to the stream for water, Sarah didn't really get to spend a lot of time alone with her brother. Any time she tried to talk to him privately, Irene found some new task for Sarah to do, while she fawned over Tobias and the twins. It seemed no matter how hard she worked, it was never enough for Irene.

One day, after spending hours in the woods, Robert returned with a black goat tied to his saddle. He had to drag him out of the woods and wrestle him into the flimsy corral they had built, but he managed it.

"Where did thee find him?" Irene asked as she held the excitable twins back to prevent them from rushing over to see the beast.

"He was wandering in the woods," Robert told her. "He seems pretty tame. Perhaps he escaped the village."

Sarah stared at the horned creature. He seemed to be almost smiling as he bleated and shook his head. Turning her head, Sarah started to walk away, wanting to be far away from the goat. "What shall we call him, Father?" Tobias asked.

"His name is Black Phillip." Grace informed everyone.

"What?" Sarah turned immediately upon hearing the name.

"Black Phillip," Michael stated. "That's his name, Sarah."

Robert studied the goat and shrugged. "Very well then. We shall call him Black Phillip." He turned to Sarah, "Keep him away from the others for now. We can not have him harming one of them. Once he's settled in and comfortable with everyone, we'll let him meet the girls. Understood?"

"Yes, Father," Sarah replied as she stared at the goat.

Sarah felt uneasy as she went about her day. No matter where she went or what she did, she always felt like she was being watched and sure enough, if she looked over, Black Phillip was always looking in her direction. Part of her wondered if perhaps this goat wasn't what he seemed. She learned long ago not to take things for grants. For not everything is what it seems to be.

~*~*~*~/…/~*~*~*~  
 _  
Sarah slipped away to go see the old beggar the day after she had rescued her brother. She needed to know that it hadn't been a horrible dream. She needed to talk to someone who would believe her story. Sure he'd probably scold her for wishing her brother away to the goblins in the first place, but she had beaten the Labyrinth and saved Tobias. Surely that would count for something. Plus she needed to know if the Goblin King would come for them again. She had to make sure Tobias was safe._

_When she reached the alley where Phillip usually sat, she found it completely empty. There was no sign the old man had ever been there. "This can't be…."_

_"What is it, my child?" Asked Father John, who was sweeping the steps to the church._

_"Father, what happened to the poor beggar?" Sarah asked._

_"Beggar?" Father John walked over to her and looked down the alley. "There's been no beggar here for quite some time." He reached in his pocket and pulled out a little red book with a note tied onto it. "Would thee happen to be Sarah?"_

_"I am." She said nervously as she eyed the book._

_"This was left on the steps of the Church this morning. I had hoped you would come by for it soon." The Father explained._

_Sarah took the book from him and stared at it. "I… I'm afraid I can't read."_

_"Shall I read the note?" Sarah nodded and handed it to him."Sarah, I regret that I can not give this to thee in person. I hope one day you are able to read it yourself. Its signed with a J."_

_"A J?" Sarah looked at him confused. She couldn't read, but she did know the basic alphabet. She was certain Phillip wasn't spelled with a J._

_"Something from your beggar friend?" The Father asked._

_"The book was his, but he told me his name was Phillip."_

_"Perhaps it wasn't his real name." The Father suggested. "Names can hold power, Sarah." He handed the note back to her and picked up his broom. "It would be a pity for thee to not be able to read that book after your friend left it for thee. And all God's children should be able to read their verses. Shall I ask your parents after this weeks mass if I can teach thee to read?"_

_"You'd teach me to read?" Sarah's eyes lit up._

_"That I would."_

~*~*~*~/…/~*~*~*~

Sarah was pulled from her memories by the screams of the twins. Racing out of the barn, she found the twins standing by the edge of the woods. "Grace! Michael! What is it?" She called as she ran over to them.

The twins pointed up at the tree they were starring at. Hanging from the highest branch was the remains of a large bird. The body was mangled and blood was dripping down the tree's trunk. Sarah quickly covered their eyes and pulled them towards the house.

"Sarah, what is going on?" Irene yelled as she came out of the house, Tobias right behind her.

"Up in the tree." Sarah said as she forced the struggling twins to go back to the house.

"Heaven above…." Irene made a cross over her chest and said a prayer.

"How did it get up there?" Tobias asked as he rushed over to his mother.

"A bear probably carried it up there," Robert stated as he walked over. "Or another bird attacked it while they were in the tree. I'll get rid of it."

Sarah forced the twins inside and closed the door. Turning back, she watched her father cut down the tree. The bird's corpse landed on the ground and Sarah's stomach twisted in knots. Its eyes were open and staring right at her. She didn't know why but it reminded her of something she saw years ago. She heard the voice echo in her head. "Let's take off her head!"

She forced herself to look away and refused to look back. She returned to the barn and continued her work, trying not to think of the bird or the creature it reminded her of.

~*~*~*~/…/~*~*~*~

That night, Sarah laid in her bed staring at the ceiling. The wind outside was howling and she could hear the panicked cries of the goats outside along with the clucks of the chickens. Covering her head with her pillow, Sarah tried to ignore them all and get some sleep. But peaceful sleep wasn't something she would be allowed to have that night.

"Sarah." Irene called as she walked into the room she shared with the twins. She didn't even bother to knock. "Go see to the animals. We can not have them hurting themselves."

With a heavy sigh, Sarah got up and dressed and wrapped a blanket around herself before heading out to check on the animals. When she stepped outside she was hit with a strong gust of cold air that nearly knocked her down. The howl of the wind sounded more like a that of a wild animal now that she was outside. Shivering from the cold, Sarah hurried to the barn, praying the lantern she was carrying stayed lit.

Just as she reached the barn, the caw of a crow in a nearby tree startled her, making her jump. She held the lantern up hoping to see where the bird was when she heard it caw again, but it was too dark. Glancing up, she noticed the dark sky. No sign of the moon or the stars. The sky was completely blacked out by clouds.

Once she was in the barn with the door closed, she heard the rain start pouring down. "Tis not fair." She muttered to herself as she hung the lantern from the large nail on the post in the center of the barn. The two female goats rubbed against Sarah's legs as a loud crack of thunder startled them all. "Easy girls," Sarah said trying to sooth them. "Tis alright."

She sat down in the hay with them and got them to calm down. The chickens were in their coop, clucking nervously, but even they seemed to calm down a bit knowing Sarah was there. Looking around, Sarah suddenly got nervous when she noticed Black Phillip was staring at her. He was tied to the post in the corner so that he couldn't bother the girls, but even so, Sarah didn't like being there with him.

"Lay down Phillip, the storm will pass soon enough." Sarah tried talking to him, but she had trouble looking at him. "Right girls?" She patted the goats by her and pulled the blanket tighter around her. The goats settled down and soon went to sleep, as did the chickens. Soon the only sound that could be heard was the howl of the wind, the rain pounding on the roof, and the patter of water dripping down through leaks in the roof. It reminded her of another stormy night. A night she desperately wanted to forget.

Though she tried to stay awake, soon sleep overcame her and soon she was fast asleep.

_Sarah was in the nursery. Lightning flash and thunder roared. The candles had all been extinguished and the sounds of scampering feet running around the room along with laughter could be heard. The rain was banging against the window along with the talons of a white bird._

_The window magically opened and in flew a barn owl, but it wasn't an ordinary owl. It changed shape as it landed on the floor in front of her and suddenly Sarah was in the shadow of a tall figure. "Thou are him, Thou are the Goblin King."_

Sarah sat up with a start. She was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Looking around, it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. The lantern had gone out, but the storm had passed and the moon was shining brightly. Its light was shining in through cracks in the roof and the one tiny window. Once her eyes had adjusted, she saw the animals were all sleeping soundly.

Getting up, Sarah brushed the hay from her clothes and grabbed the lantern. Before she headed back to the house, she glanced over to the corner Black Phillip was tied in, but he wasn't there. The rope had been chewed through. "Oh, no…" Sarah looked around, but there was no sign of the black goat. "Irene shall blame me for this."

She hurried outside and looked around. She spotted Black Phillip standing by the edge of the woods. When the barn door closed, the goat turned to look at her, the light from the moon making his eyes almost glow. Sarah stood there, frozen in fear at the sight of him. He snorted and pawed the ground. Fearing he was going to charge, Sarah hurried to the house. As she went to open the door, she heard the caw of a crow and looked over her shoulder before going inside. She saw Black Phillip looking up at a crow sitting in the tree.

Once she was inside, she closed and locked the door. She was shaking but she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was fear of being attacked by the goat, perhaps it was the fear of what her parents were going to do when they learned she let Black Phillip get out, or maybe it was something else. Sarah hurried back to her room and climbed into her bed on the floor. The twins were sleeping peacefully and didn't even move when she climbed into bed. She watched them for a moment before closing her eyes. She said a silent prayer that her father wouldn't be too angry with her in the morning.


End file.
